Les Sittelles gymnasts finish season on a high note

By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star

The Club de gymnastique Les Sittelles wrapped up the 2022-2023 competitive season on a high note last month by hosting the season-ending May Challenge event.

Gymnasts from six different clubs from as far away as Cornwall and Brockville competed on floor, beam, vault and the uneven bars.

For most, it was a final chance to perform their 2022-2023 routines without the pressure of having to qualify for the provincial championships.

It was in that environment, competing in their own gym that several Les Sittelles members turned in some excellent performances.

Aleksandra Gagné was the picture of consistency in the Level 2 Age 9 competition with first place routines on the uneven bars and the floor, second place on the beam and third place on vault to finish in first place overall.

Noëmie Lalonde bounced back from a fifth place result on floor and swept all four of the other apparatus to take home first place honours in the Level 3 Age 10 competition.

Olga Gorodnichy finished first overall in the Level 4 Age 11 division after finishing first on vault and uneven bars and second on the beam and floor.

Rose MacDonald placed first on vault, floor and uneven bars and second on beam to win the overall title in the Level 4 Age 12-13 competition.

Moving up to Level 5, Eve Boulerice placed first on uneven bars, second on vault and third on the beam and floor to win the overall title in the Age 10 and 11 group.

At Level 6, Anastasia Malek placed first on uneven bars and beam, second on vault and third on floor to win the overall title in the Age 10 and 11 group, and Jenna Geekie won the Age 12 and 13 group with first place results on floor and vault to go along with second place finishes on beam and the uneven bars.

Fresh off her fifth place result at the provincial championships, Laurence Bonneville won the Level 7 Age 11-12 overall competition with first place routines on vault, beam and the uneven bars and a second place finish on floor.

In the feature competition of the event, Amelie Goulet beat five of her clubmates and fellow provincial level athletes to win the Xcel Gold division with a 9.8 on uneven bars and a pair of 9.6s on beam and floor to win all three disciplines, while also placing second on vault with a 9.4.

The vault was won by Vera Gorodnichy who scored a 9.55 on the apparatus.

Last but by no means least, 20-year-old Mia Haché won the Masters Xcel Age 18-20 division by receiving the top mark on all four apparatus, and Maya Ouellet won the

Masters Xcel Age 21 and over group with first place results on uneven bars and floor and second place routines on vault and beam.

With the final event of the season done and dusted, the young gymnasts can now enjoy the rest of the summer before returning to the gym this fall.

Arthur Guarda, 93

Passed away on June 14, 2023

Joseph Leo Potyka, 73

Passed away on June 13, 2023

Gilles Longtin, 75

Passed away on June 9, 2023

Richard Kenny, 86

Passed away on June 9, 2023

THURSDAY, JUNE 22

ORLÉANS FARMER’S MARKET from 11 am to 4 pm in the parking lot at the Ray Friel Recreation Complex on Tenth Line Road featuring local food vendors and producers.

SATURDAY, JUNE 24

CUMBERLAND FARMERS MARKET from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the R.J. Kennedy Arena, 1115 Dunning Rd. in Cumberland Village. The Cumberland Farmers’ Market features fresh vegetables, seasonal fruits, specialty foods and a variety of artisan goods.